Flash Fiction: ‘Ey You

“That’s a cute puppy! What’s his name?” asked Bob’s granddaughter while they enjoyed their coffee together.

She often brought him a take away coffee – and usually a big piece of carrot cake from their favourite local café – but she had never seen the shaggy black and white Border Collie before. He was so tiny she was able to pick him up and hold him in her hands.

“Oh, that’s ‘Ey You,” he replied.

“Huh?”

“’Ey You,” he repeated, slowly enunciating each word. “You know, like hey you.”

“Oh right, now I’ve got you. ‘Ey You. Has he been behaving himself for you?”

“Oh yes, he’s a very good puppy.” Bob’s eyes lit up in delight as she handed the puppy over to him. “You’re a very good boy, aren’t you?” he told him, as he nuzzled his face.

Bob’s granddaughter continued to bring him coffee. Soon, she had to stop bringing carrot cake when he was put on a soft food diet. Then, she was forced to put sickly sweet thickener in his coffee. Finally, she had to stop bringing coffee, but he somehow always managed to let her know that he still knew her.

‘Ey You usually sat on Bob’s bed, providing him with great comfort during the lonely nights in noisy, and often scary, nursing home. Bob loved to bring him along on their walks in the garden and he quietly sat on his lap the entire time.

On the day Bob’s granddaughter said her final goodbye to her Pop, she drove straight from the hospital to the nursing home. She couldn’t stand for his belongings to be in that miserable place anymore, especially not ‘Ey You. Even though ‘Ey You is only a stuffed toy, he will always have a place in her heart. After all, he was her grandfather’s only friend in the end.

‘Ey You and his buddy, Spot, being looked after by my cat called Zeus